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Gustav Klimt was an Austrian symbolist painter, widely considered to be one of the most important artists of the Art Nouveau movement. He is best known for his gilded, decorative portraits and landscapes, which often feature sinuous lines, gold leaf, and complex patterns. His work was heavily influenced by Japanese art and he is considered a pioneer of modern art in Europe. He was a founding member of the Vienna Secession movement, which sought to break away from the traditional academies and promote modern art.
Klimt's most famous works include the portraits "Adele Bloch-Bauer I" and "The Kiss," both of which are highly valued and widely recognized. He died in 1918, but his work continues to inspire artists and art lovers around the world.
The golden, sparkling portraits and landscapes of Austrian Gustav Klimt are introduced in this lesson. Students investigate his use of jewels, mirrors, gold, and silver to create his Golden Style of the early 1900s. His most famous masterpiece is “The Kiss,” known throughout the world. Be sure to click through the student masterpieces at the top of this page.
I had a parent stop me in the halls and express how much her children loved the curriculum. She was overjoyed that formal art education was included in our school day and that it was a curriculum that challenged the older elementary students, and was able to be done by the younger ones as well. She had a first and fourth grader at the time. I also had an aide who was in the classroom with me while I was teaching tell me how much she loved that art history portion of the curriculum. She said that she wasn’t much of an artist, and as a kid she dreaded craft time, but that the inclusion of the art history would have made all the difference to her as a child. I have students who have complained about going to a good behavior activity (which are always super fun!) because it meant she would have to miss art that week!
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What does it mean when an artist uses real gold leaf instead of just gold-colored paint? The Gustav Klimt art for kids is always introduced with such paintings as “The Kiss,” where the portraits have a lot of patterns and shine. Just a glimpse at Gustav Klimt biography for kids proves that this is an Austrian painter who played an important role in developing the Vienna Secession movement in opposition to traditional academies with his own unique interpretation of Art Nouveau style.
While paintbrushes aren’t an option in this project, students use foil sheets, foam pads, embossing pencils that let them apply patterns and textures to the metal surface, similar to how the painter applied gold leaf to his works. This is one of the most unusual art projects for kids in the entire curriculum.
FAQ
He worked with real gold leaf, giving pieces like “The Kiss” a glittering, decorative surface.
The Vienna Secession, a movement that pushed against traditional academic art.
What makes Gustav Klimt art projects for kids stand out from other lessons?
The metal embossing technique — pressing pattern into foil instead of painting or drawing it.
